Sway divider for vertical filing receptacles



April 4,` 1939.

G. Ruck SWAY DIVIDER FOR VERTICAL FILING RECEPTACLES Filed Jan. 26, 1937 Patented Apr. 4, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SWAY DIVIDER FOR VERTICAL FILING RECEPTACLES Application January 26, 1937, Serial No. 122,450

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in vertical iiling devices, and relates more particularly to improvements in devices for dividing drawers, trays and file receptacles in general into compart- 5 ments for classification purposes.

The principal object of the invention is toI provide a novel and improved construction for le receptacles in which provision is made for insertion at desired points longitudinally of the drawer of divider or partitioning members, said members being readily removable and replaceable in the various positions and being so mounted in each of said positions as to be capable of limited adjustment from the top between a normal position perpendicular to the bottom of the drawer and positions inclined at an angle to said perpendicular.

' Another object ofthe invention is to provide a ling device of the stated character that shall be characterized by extreme simplicity of form and manufacture, ease of adjustment, strength and durability.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a device of the stated character means for releasably retaining the dividers in the normal perpendicular position.

The invention further resides in certain structural details and arrangements hereinafter described and illustrated in the attached drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a file drawer equipped with a sway divider of the character described constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a detached view in perspective of one of the divider elements;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view illustrating a detail of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in perspective illustrating the manner of inserting and retracting the divider members, and

Figs. 5 and 6 are, respectively, fragmentary perspective and sectional views illustrating a further modification.

With reference to the drawing, I have villustrated in Fig. 1 a single drawer of a ling cabinet made in the present instance of pressed metal. In accordance with my invention, the bottom wall I of this drawer is formed at each longitudinal side with a series of narrow transverse slots, 2 and 3 respectively, each slot of the series 2 being aligned transversely of the drawer with one of the slots of the series 3. Toward its upper edge each of the side walls 4 of the drawer is provided with a longitudinal recess -or channel 5, said channels being formed in the present instance'by shaping the sheet metal walls as best shown in Fig. 3.

Also in accordance with my invention, I provide one or more divider or partition elements 6 in the form in the present instance of a flat plate havingprojecting from the bottom edge tongues l, l, which in assembly are adapted to enter the aligned pairs of the slots 2 and 3 in the drawer bottom, and having at each side edge a tongue 8 which in assembly and as shown in Fig. 1 engages in the respective channels 5 at the opposite sides of the drawer. When so installed, the member 6 divides the interior of the drawer transversely into fore and aft compartments, and the number and depth of these compartments may be varied as required in obvious manner.

The tongues l are sufliciently free in the slots 2 and 3 to permit the divider 6 to swing upon its bottom edge between a normal position in which it extends perpendicular to the bottom l of the drawer and positions at either side of this normal inclined to the perpendicular. When the divider is in the normal perpendicular position, reference being had to Fig. 3, the upper edges of the tongues 8 lie closely adjacent the upper walls of the channels 5, and the lower edges of the tongues 8 are elevated above the bottom walls of said channels. Movement of the divider in its own plane outwardly from the drawer is thus prevented by reason of the engagement of the upper edges of the tongues 8 with the closely adjoining upper walls of the channels. The divider is permitted, however, as previously described, to sway from the normal perpendicular position in either direction to a position inclined to said normal plane, and the extent of this sway movement and the maximum normal inclination of the divider from the normal perpendicuiar position is limited and determined by engagement of the lower edges of the tongues 8 with the bottom surfaces of the channels 5. It is preferred to dimension the divider and the associated parts of the drawer structure so that when in either position of normal inclination, see Fig. l, or in the perpendicular position, as shown in Fig. 3, the divider cannot be lifted in its own plane away from the drawer bottom to a sufficient extent to f-ree the tongues l from the -slots 2 `and 3, this being prevented by engagement of the upper edges of the tongues 8 with the upper walls of the channels 5. If, however, it is desired to withdraw the divider from the drawer, it is `only necessary from one of the inclined positions to draw the divider `and the tongues 8 further along the channels 5 with the lower edges of the tongues `il in engagement with 'zos the bottom walls of the channels, whereby, as shown in Fig. 4, the tongues I are cleared from the slots 2 and 3, after which a slight angular rotating movement of the divider between the side walls of the drawer will clear the tongues 8 from the channels 5 and permit the divider to be withdrawn. It is to be noted that in any of the normal positions of the divider, either perpendicular to the bottom of the drawer or inclined thereto, the tongues I will still remain engaged in the slots 2 and 3 and that there is a denite tendency to maintain this engagement so Ythat accidental disengagement is avoided.

In some instances it is desirable to retain the divider 8 in the normal perpendicular relation with respect to the bottom I of the drawer, and for this purposev I provide in the anges 9 which form the upper walls of the channels 5 a plurality of sets of apertures II, the two apertures comprising each set being located opposite the respective slots 2 and 3. In the perpendicular positions of the dividers 6, therefore, the apertures of each set will lie closely adjacent to and respectively at opposite sides of the plane of the divider. In conjunction with these apertures, I provide U shaped clips I2 the legs of which are adapted to be inserted downwardly into the apertures Il as shown in Fig. 3, and to coniine therebetween the tongues 8 of the associated divider. The clip I2 thus acts to retain the divider in the normal perpendicular position, and the clips may be readily inserted and retracted as required.l

As a further adjunct of the construction, I may form the tongues at the lower edges of the divider which enter the slots in the bottom of the drawer with suitable means for frictionally engaging the edges of the slots. In the present instance, the said tongues indicated at I5 in Figs. 5- and 6 are slit from their lower edges upwardly and are slightly bent on either side of this slit and in opposite directions so as to afford an eiective thickness in the tongue as a whole slightly in excess of the width of the slots. As shown in Fig. 6, the bending of the portions of the tongue is conned to their mid sections, the outer edges of the divisions of the tongue being in alignment so that the tongue may be readily inserted in the slot. When forced down through the slot by pressure from above, the oppositely bowed portions of the tongue are caused to frictionally engage the lower edges of the slot, thereby resisting withdrawal of the divider.

It will be apparent that the device described above while affording all the exibility of adjustment required in a device of this character is of extreme simplicity of form and manufacture. At the same time, the device is highly eflcient functionally, is both strong and durable, and is not subject to deterioration. In normal assembly, the divider is securely established in the drawer, but may be readily withdrawn and reinserted without removal of the papers or records filed in the latter. The device for maintaining the divider in the perpendicular position is a highly desirable one, and this device also is characterized by extreme simplicity of form and manufacture.

I claim:

1. In a ling device, the combination with a receptacle having bottom and side walls, of a member adapted to extend transversely between said side walls and to thereby divide the interior of the receptacle into a plurality of compartments, means for anchoring said divider in the bottom wall of the receptacle, said anchoring means comprising a slot in said bottom wall and a tongue at the lower end of said divider adapted to occupy said slot whereby the divider may be adjusted at the top between a normal position perpendicular to said bottom wall and positions inclined to the perpendicular, means providing a longitudinal socket in at least one of said side walls adjacent the upper portion of the divider, and a tongue on said divider adapted for engagement in said socket and by said engagement limiting the extent of said divider adjustment, the upper edge of said last-named tongue in the said normal position of the divider closely adjoining the top wall of said socket and thereby preventing retraction of the rst-named tongue from its slot, and the second-named tongue being of sufliciently lesser depth than the said socket to permit retraction of the first-named tongue from its slot by movement of the divider longitudinally of the drawer beyond the said inclined position.

2. In a filing device, the combination with a receptacle having bottom and side walls, of a member adapted to extend transversely between said side walls and to thereby divide the interior of the receptacle into a plurality of compartments, said bottom having a slot therein and said divider having a tongue adapted to enter the slot to thereby anchor the divider at the bottom, means forming a longitudinal socket in a side wall of the receptacle adjacent the upper portion of the divider, and a tongue at the side of the divider adapted to engage in said socket to thereby normally retain the rst-named tongue in its slot, said divider being adjustable at the top and by movement of the second-named tongue longitudinally in said socket between positions perpendicular to the said bottom and inclined thereto, and detachable means in said side wall for temporarily locking said divider in the perpendicular position.

3. In a iiling device, the combination with a receptacle having bottom and side walls, said bottom wall having a series of slots arranged longitudinally of the drawer and said side walls having each a longitudinal channel, of a member adapted to extend transversely between said side walls and to thereby divide the interior of the receptacle into a plurality of compartments, s-aid member having at the lower edge thereof a tongue adaptedV to enter the slots in said bottom wall selectively and having at the side edges tongues engageable respectively in said channels, said last-named tongues being of lesser depth than said channels to thereby afford said divider a limited angular adjustment around its lower edge between positions perpendicular to the bottom wall of the receptacle and inclined to said perpendicular, and means detachably mounted in the top wall of one oi said channels for retaining the divider in the said perpendicular position.

4, In a filing device, the combination with a receptacle having bottom and side walls, said bottom wall having a series of slots arranged longitudinally of the drawerand said side walls` having each a longitudinal channel, the top walls of said channels having apertures arranged in transverse alignment respectively with the slots in said bottom wall, of a member adapted to extend transversely between said side walls and to thereby divide the interior of the receptacle into a plurality of compartments, said member having atthe lower edge thereof a tongue adapted to enter the slots in said bottom wall selectively and having at the side edges tongues engageable respectively in said channels, said last-named tongues being of lesser depth than said channels to thereby afford said divider a limited angular adjustment around its lower edge between positions perpendicular to the bottom wall of the receptacle and inclined to said perpendicular, and clips for detachable insertion in said apertures and adapted to retain said divider in the perpendicular position.

5. In a ling device, the combination with a receptacle having bottom and side walls, said bottom wall having a series of slots arranged longitudinally of the drawer and said side walls having each a longitudinal channel, of a member adapted to extend transversely between said side walls and to thereby divide the interior of the receptacle into a plurality of compartments, said member having at the lower edge thereof a tongue adapted to enter the slots in said bottom wall selectively and having at the side edges tongues being releasable from the slot by movement of the 10 divider longitudinally of the drawer from the said inclined position whereby a subsequent angular adjustment of the divider between the side walls disengaging the second-named tongues from the said channels permits retraction of the 15 divider from the drawer.

GEORGE RUCK. 

